trailer world Issue One 2012

As a joint venture between Rio Tinto, the Marubeni Corporation and Sojitz, Dampier Salt Limited has three operations located in Western Australia. One each at Port Hedland, Lake MacLeod and Dampier, another major industrial Port in the north west of the State. The company’s headquar- ter is in Perth. The approach to their salt production in- volves extracting seawater at the Dampier and Port Hedland sites and by harvesting naturally occurring underground brines at Lake MacLeod, and then using the evapora- tive powers of the sun and wind to crystal- lise sodium chloride salt in a series of bund- ed ponds called crystallisers. Sun and wind energy comprise around 99 percent of the total energy required to grow, process and ship the salt. That being the case, Dampier Salts sustainability strat- egy is founded on the concepts of long-term operational viability and maximising the use of renewable energy sources. Collectively all three sites produce around 10 million tonnes of salt each year, a sustainable harvesting process that, due to the well executed stock management policy and the freight management and environ- mental practices, operations are predicted to continue well beyond the next 40 years. So respectful is Dampier Salt Limited towards their environmental protection re- sponsibilities at all three production sites, that the company would stop production rather than harm the environment. The majority of the salt produced is used by the chemical industry for processing and manufacturing products for the automo- tive, construction and electronic sectors. Such products include plastics, glass, deter- gents and soaps, textiles, industrial chemi- cals and for food processing. The salt is even used to de-ice roads. Dampier Salt works with many suppli- ers to source a range of goods and services, none more important than the transport of the salt from the massive stock piles to the various ports for shipment worldwide. Support Vehicles Australia (SVA) has been producing highly innovative bottom dump trailers for Dampier Salt’s three op- erations since 2005. So far over one third of Dampier Salt’s fleet of fifty cubic metre trailers have been supplied by SVA. All are currently employed as triple road-train con- figurations, each capable of delivering up to 210 tonnes per train. Each trailer is built using high grade stainless steel sections designed to with- stand continuous and maximum capacity loads. The bottom dumping process features a single ‘full length door’ which produces a fast and expedient discharge action. To assist in the on-site servicing of the bottom-dump trailers, and other mobile equipment, SVA has taken a Dampier Salt prime-mover and turned it into a service vehicle consisting of specialised spill con- tainment hydrocarbon tanks to adhere with DSL’s strict environmental policies, and so- phisticated pumping equipment to get the service work done as quickly and efficiently as possible. To also keep the trailers in serv- ice to deliver their cargo on-time, 27 tonne, 150 mm solid beam BPW axles are Photos:AlanPearce In Australia, everything is bigger: the salt is “harvested” from the crystal- lisation basins by huge pieces of machinery. Salt of the Sun Since establishing its operation in 1967, Dampier Salt Limited (DSL) has become the world leader in the reliable supply of quality solar salt. Issue One 2012 41 Responsibility for environment Worldwide

trailer world Issue One 2012

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